I'm playing Traveller again!

[erisred]

Originally posted by RobertFisher:
The GM chair rotated back my way this Monday. While it's not surprising, I wasn't expecting it. So, I'm finally playing Traveller again for the first time in probably more than 10 years, & I'm ref'ing it for the 1st time.

<snip>

In any case, they seemed to enjoy it despite the strugglings of a unprepared, 1st time (for Traveller) ref. Two characters, three jumps, & one patron seemed like a pretty successful first session to me.

I found myself falling back on my Starter Traveller books a lot. It was just easier for me to find things in them than in the LBBs. The last page of Bk0 helped, but ST was still quicker. Though I'll probably get a lot better with the LBBs once I get used to them. ("Experience is in Bk2. Experience is in Bk2.") In any case, I was very happy to have ST, the LBBs, & the BFBs all at the table. They all got use.

That's great Robert! It sounds like you had a good time...making it work even when not prepared can be a very good feeling.

I wish I was playing or reffing a ftf game. Maybe I'll get a chance to run a one-off this holiday season when some of my old players come back into town.

 

[erisred]

Originally posted by RobertFisher:
The GM chair rotated back my way this Monday. While it's not surprising, I wasn't expecting it. So, I'm finally playing Traveller again for the first time in probably more than 10 years, & I'm ref'ing it for the 1st time.

<snip>

In any case, they seemed to enjoy it despite the strugglings of a unprepared, 1st time (for Traveller) ref. Two characters, three jumps, & one patron seemed like a pretty successful first session to me.

I found myself falling back on my Starter Traveller books a lot. It was just easier for me to find things in them than in the LBBs. The last page of Bk0 helped, but ST was still quicker. Though I'll probably get a lot better with the LBBs once I get used to them. ("Experience is in Bk2. Experience is in Bk2.") In any case, I was very happy to have ST, the LBBs, & the BFBs all at the table. They all got use.

That's great Robert! It sounds like you had a good time...making it work even when not prepared can be a very good feeling.

I wish I was playing or reffing a ftf game. Maybe I'll get a chance to run a one-off this holiday season when some of my old players come back into town.

 

[RobertFisher]

Originally posted by Ranger:
Sorry my links weren't more help. It's hard to figure out what everyone has seen and what is a lost gem on line.

Hey, I certainly appreciate it. I could've just as easily not have happened to find them myself. I won't be surprised if I end up searching for this thread sometime in the future because I've managed to lose those links.

They may prove helpful to a lurker as well.

And thanks for the opinions on the FASA stuff.

 

[RobertFisher]

Originally posted by Ranger:
Sorry my links weren't more help. It's hard to figure out what everyone has seen and what is a lost gem on line.

Hey, I certainly appreciate it. I could've just as easily not have happened to find them myself. I won't be surprised if I end up searching for this thread sometime in the future because I've managed to lose those links.

They may prove helpful to a lurker as well.

And thanks for the opinions on the FASA stuff.

 

[RobertFisher]

Update: This week's session was nearly 100% chargen. Players 3 & 4 didn't have as much luck as players 1 & 2 had last week. Lots of failed survival & reënlist rolls.

Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun, though. One player said, "I'm having a blast," when his sixth character failed to make a second term. I think the other player felt a bit disappointed in the character she ended up with, but she still seemed to have fun. (& I'll be doing my best to let everyone's character get a chance to shine...)

The two players who already had characters rolled up a few backup characters just for fun. & the player of the noble reviewed the accounting for her yacht's operations.

Now next week, I just have to figure out how to get the characters all together.

 

[RobertFisher]

Update: This week's session was nearly 100% chargen. Players 3 & 4 didn't have as much luck as players 1 & 2 had last week. Lots of failed survival & reënlist rolls.

Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun, though. One player said, "I'm having a blast," when his sixth character failed to make a second term. I think the other player felt a bit disappointed in the character she ended up with, but she still seemed to have fun. (& I'll be doing my best to let everyone's character get a chance to shine...)

The two players who already had characters rolled up a few backup characters just for fun. & the player of the noble reviewed the accounting for her yacht's operations.

Now next week, I just have to figure out how to get the characters all together.

 

[Flynn]

If you need any helpful suggestions, please feel free to post details on the characters, and we'll offer whatever we can...

More later,
Flynn

 

[Flynn]

If you need any helpful suggestions, please feel free to post details on the characters, and we'll offer whatever we can...

More later,
Flynn

 

[RobertFisher]

Originally posted by Flynn:
If you need any helpful suggestions, please feel free to post details on the characters, and we'll offer whatever we can...

With all the characters being generated, I didn't get the details of what they ended up with.

What I do remember was that neither of the two new PCs had any skills appropriate for crew positions. One was a rogue whose only skill I recall was Forgery. The other started as a merchant, but then spent a few terms in another career. Jack-o-T was the only skill of his that I recall. (Guess he could sub his JOT for Steward-0...)

The other two PCs are a baroness/engineer with a yacht & her ship's doctor (Medical-5 is his only skill).

They just delivered a patron & his equipment to manufacture a treatment for an outbreak to Dinomn which--they learned just before arrival--the government may not be too happy about. They beat a hasty retreat to the starport. They'll now have to decide whether to get-outta-Dodge ASAP or to take the time to look for passengers & cargo. Plus, until they do leave, they'll hear reports of the trouble between the patron & the government. So, there's a chance they will decide to stick around & help.

I have come up with one idea. (I'd post it, but I want it to be a bit of a surprise, & a player or two might drop by here to lurk.) Any suggestions that I can use as backup plans would be welcome.

 

[RobertFisher]

Originally posted by Flynn:
If you need any helpful suggestions, please feel free to post details on the characters, and we'll offer whatever we can...

With all the characters being generated, I didn't get the details of what they ended up with.

What I do remember was that neither of the two new PCs had any skills appropriate for crew positions. One was a rogue whose only skill I recall was Forgery. The other started as a merchant, but then spent a few terms in another career. Jack-o-T was the only skill of his that I recall. (Guess he could sub his JOT for Steward-0...)

The other two PCs are a baroness/engineer with a yacht & her ship's doctor (Medical-5 is his only skill).

They just delivered a patron & his equipment to manufacture a treatment for an outbreak to Dinomn which--they learned just before arrival--the government may not be too happy about. They beat a hasty retreat to the starport. They'll now have to decide whether to get-outta-Dodge ASAP or to take the time to look for passengers & cargo. Plus, until they do leave, they'll hear reports of the trouble between the patron & the government. So, there's a chance they will decide to stick around & help.

I have come up with one idea. (I'd post it, but I want it to be a bit of a surprise, & a player or two might drop by here to lurk.) Any suggestions that I can use as backup plans would be welcome.

 

[Ranger]

Originally posted by RobertFisher:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Flynn:
If you need any helpful suggestions, please feel free to post details on the characters, and we'll offer whatever we can...

With all the characters being generated, I didn't get the details of what they ended up with.

What I do remember was that neither of the two new PCs had any skills appropriate for crew positions. One was a rogue whose only skill I recall was Forgery. The other started as a merchant, but then spent a few terms in another career. Jack-o-T was the only skill of his that I recall. (Guess he could sub his JOT for Steward-0...)

The other two PCs are a baroness/engineer with a yacht & her ship's doctor (Medical-5 is his only skill).

They just delivered a patron & his equipment to manufacture a treatment for an outbreak to Dinomn which--they learned just before arrival--the government may not be too happy about. They beat a hasty retreat to the starport. They'll now have to decide whether to get-outta-Dodge ASAP or to take the time to look for passengers & cargo. Plus, until they do leave, they'll hear reports of the trouble between the patron & the government. So, there's a chance they will decide to stick around & help.

I have come up with one idea. (I'd post it, but I want it to be a bit of a surprise, & a player or two might drop by here to lurk.) Any suggestions that I can use as backup plans would be welcome. </font>[/QUOTE]Well, here is an idea. Make the new players friends/relatives of the patron they just dropped off. That would work either way. If they choose to leave, the patron could request the players get the new players off world due to his troubles (doesn't want people to suffer because of his actions). If they choose to stay and help, then the new players can be introduced as part of the process of helping the patron. If things go well, then new friends to go adventuring with, if things go badly, then they can all get our of Dodge together...

Just a thought...

 

[Ranger]

Originally posted by RobertFisher:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Flynn:
If you need any helpful suggestions, please feel free to post details on the characters, and we'll offer whatever we can...

With all the characters being generated, I didn't get the details of what they ended up with.

What I do remember was that neither of the two new PCs had any skills appropriate for crew positions. One was a rogue whose only skill I recall was Forgery. The other started as a merchant, but then spent a few terms in another career. Jack-o-T was the only skill of his that I recall. (Guess he could sub his JOT for Steward-0...)

The other two PCs are a baroness/engineer with a yacht & her ship's doctor (Medical-5 is his only skill).

They just delivered a patron & his equipment to manufacture a treatment for an outbreak to Dinomn which--they learned just before arrival--the government may not be too happy about. They beat a hasty retreat to the starport. They'll now have to decide whether to get-outta-Dodge ASAP or to take the time to look for passengers & cargo. Plus, until they do leave, they'll hear reports of the trouble between the patron & the government. So, there's a chance they will decide to stick around & help.

I have come up with one idea. (I'd post it, but I want it to be a bit of a surprise, & a player or two might drop by here to lurk.) Any suggestions that I can use as backup plans would be welcome. </font>[/QUOTE]Well, here is an idea. Make the new players friends/relatives of the patron they just dropped off. That would work either way. If they choose to leave, the patron could request the players get the new players off world due to his troubles (doesn't want people to suffer because of his actions). If they choose to stay and help, then the new players can be introduced as part of the process of helping the patron. If things go well, then new friends to go adventuring with, if things go badly, then they can all get our of Dodge together...

Just a thought...

 

[kaladorn]

Originally posted by RobertFisher:
As much as I have gotten out of them, though, I still prefer to run things more free form. Just pick an appropriate number of dice, an appropriate target number, & appropriate DMs. [/QB]

Robert, that's mostly how I use the MT system. I know what the difficulties are (3/7/11/15/19), what the appropriate skills and attributes are which apply, and it is usually obvious if the task is fateful or uncertain. With that, off you go! I usually run traveller with a starmap, some dice, maybe one or two combat charts, and that's about it. That's what I love about it.

 

[kaladorn]

Originally posted by RobertFisher:
As much as I have gotten out of them, though, I still prefer to run things more free form. Just pick an appropriate number of dice, an appropriate target number, & appropriate DMs. [/QB]

Robert, that's mostly how I use the MT system. I know what the difficulties are (3/7/11/15/19), what the appropriate skills and attributes are which apply, and it is usually obvious if the task is fateful or uncertain. With that, off you go! I usually run traveller with a starmap, some dice, maybe one or two combat charts, and that's about it. That's what I love about it.

 

[kaladorn]

Originally posted by RobertFisher:
Update: This week's session was nearly 100% chargen. Players 3 & 4 didn't have as much luck as players 1 & 2 had last week. Lots of failed survival & reënlist rolls.

Two rules that I use that make the process still risky but less... vexing:
1) MT's Brownie Points (from about the middle of the player's manual where they define college, military academy, etc). They really help the player bank up some luck to address one or two failed rolls.
2) Non-death results of failed re-enlistment. Court martial, incarceration, permanent injury (possibly prosthetics, or a minor disability for the game), discharge on physical or psychological grounds, charges of striking an officer, cowardice, etc. Might be true, might not be true. But makes good initial hooks for a character.

 

[kaladorn]

Originally posted by RobertFisher:
Update: This week's session was nearly 100% chargen. Players 3 & 4 didn't have as much luck as players 1 & 2 had last week. Lots of failed survival & reënlist rolls.

Two rules that I use that make the process still risky but less... vexing:
1) MT's Brownie Points (from about the middle of the player's manual where they define college, military academy, etc). They really help the player bank up some luck to address one or two failed rolls.
2) Non-death results of failed re-enlistment. Court martial, incarceration, permanent injury (possibly prosthetics, or a minor disability for the game), discharge on physical or psychological grounds, charges of striking an officer, cowardice, etc. Might be true, might not be true. But makes good initial hooks for a character.

 

[kaladorn]

Two thoughts:

0 level skills. People tend to have lots of these in the real world - things they're not real good at, but could sort of do. Driving, swimming, mechanic, etc. You might want to gift the rather one dimensional characters with a few of these.

MT gave you homeworld skills with that in mind. And it gave the classic characters an extra 1-2 skills per term and wider skill choices due to Cascades.

This tended, to my mind, to produce more realistic skillsets - the truth is, people of middle age tend to have a wide bank of skills. Sure, some may be a bit rusty, but they know a lot. Having just one skill doesn't seem right to me. Hence why I prefer MT's chargen system, even when I'm playing a CT game.

 

[kaladorn]

Two thoughts:

0 level skills. People tend to have lots of these in the real world - things they're not real good at, but could sort of do. Driving, swimming, mechanic, etc. You might want to gift the rather one dimensional characters with a few of these.

MT gave you homeworld skills with that in mind. And it gave the classic characters an extra 1-2 skills per term and wider skill choices due to Cascades.

This tended, to my mind, to produce more realistic skillsets - the truth is, people of middle age tend to have a wide bank of skills. Sure, some may be a bit rusty, but they know a lot. Having just one skill doesn't seem right to me. Hence why I prefer MT's chargen system, even when I'm playing a CT game.

 

[mike wightman]

I allowed players to have skill 0 in every skill in their prior service Personal Development and Service Skills tables.

 

[mike wightman]

I allowed players to have skill 0 in every skill in their prior service Personal Development and Service Skills tables.